Eye-to-Eye 1

Title: Eye-To-Eye…Author: ScorchPosted: EmailRating: PG-13Category: Major FluffContent: B/A… Only Joking! *smiles evilly* C/ASummary: Across a crowded library, their eyes met…! Cordy’s musings.Spoilers: Disclaimer: The characters in the Angelverse were created by Joss Whedon & David Greenwalt. No infringement is intended, no profit is made.Distribution: AO, Cal, Lil, Lio n Sara’s place.Notes: The board has been missing some standalones for yonks so I hauled my lazy arse into gear and got writing!Thanks/Dedication:Feedback:is the Pope Catholic?

I feel like banging my head off the table in frustration but figure the only purpose that would serve would be to increase the research-induced headache to epic proportions. God, how much longer am I going to be made to sit in the book-smelling room?

“It is important to know the demon, Cordelia” I snipe under my breath in a high-pitched and highly sarcastic tone that dripped with acid. “Cus bait always needs to know how to attract the big, dangerous monster” again, an acidic tone highlights my words. Deciding to rebel against the laws of research, I’m daring to glance out of the big heavy book around the others at the table.

Willow is the only one not at the table because Giles has her sat at a computer for the last three hours. Grimacing on behalf of the other girl, I wonder if her eyes have gone square yet. Her eyes have probably gone square the moment she put on that tartan dress, I note offhandedly. Where did Willow get that stuff?

I wanna know so I can avoid it at all costs.

It doesn’t take much to look nice at all, it’s completely pointless telling these people in here that of course. I venture to say that style and the kooky, little gang just didn’t belong in the same sentence. Take Xander Harris for example.

Looking over at him, I can’t help but shake my head in disdain and shame when the Hawaiian shirt, black scuffed jeans and sneakers invade my already traumatised vision. Could there be anything worse than a high school guy trying to pull off a grungy college look?

Somehow, I think not.

Running my gaze, which is probably showing pity, to the petite blonde known the world over as Buffy Summers and my immediate attention snaps onto the forming zit on the chin of the slayer. Surely spot cream can’t be that expensive, right? Hasn’t that girl picked up anything from her mother?

Now Joyce Summers is a beautiful woman, she holds a successful career in art, has her own home and raises a kid like Buffy and she still finds the time to look her absolute best. Buffy can barely find the time to use a little dab of zit remover, God!

Maybe if I leave subtle hints, like skin care leaflets and Vogue laying around, they would realise the error of their ways and change. Don’t they think of how I look when I’m seen with them? Cringing inwardly, I seriously do not want to know what other people think of me when I’m in close proximity to them. The very thought of knowing what my friends think has my well-cared for skin is breaking out in hives.

See what they’re doing to me? My skin is becoming all red with being so near to the polyester cotton blend of Xander’s shirt, how inconsiderate can he be? Look at my skin. Just look at it! I’m all itchy and red and my skin is crawling but does anyone notice my discomfort?

Urgh! What do I have to do around here to get some consideration I ask? Maybe if I stood up and started waving a piece of pointed wood around, maybe then Xander would see just how red I’ve gone by being near him.

That’s right boy, look away. My glare of death is enough to stop his beady, mis-shaped eyes from ogling my boobs. Let’s analyse the men I’m surrounded by shall we?

There’s Xander Harris, I think I’ve made my point where he’s concerned. Oz, he’s pretty cool in an odd sort of way. Doesn’t speak much which I suppose makes him a great match for Willow who loves nothing more than to yammer away like her life depended on it. Giles, wears a lot of tweed which isn’t that much better than polyester cotton blend come to think of it.

Ahhh! Angel.

Currently, the dark haired vampire is sitting on the wooden stairs totally engrossed in a book. All kitted out in his usual black-on-black attire, does he know how lucky he is to be a vampire? I doubt it.

I mean, you have to be of pale complexion to look that good in all that black. Not many guys can carry off that tall, dark and gorgeous thing but Angel has it down. He has the right skin colour thanks to being dead and all, the dark hair which granted could be dye… My guess is Sable or maybe Natural Raven… Anyway, I wonder if there would be any possibility in getting Angel to talk to Xander about how a man is meant to look.

Angel could bully Xander into wearing something that doesn’t bring me out in hives, which still haven’t gone by the way. It couldn’t hurt, could it? Not like I can have a woman-to-boy chat about using decent clothes.

Oooh crap! He’s looking over here.

Snapping my head back down to avoid the vampire’s exceedingly dark gaze, I try to concentrate on the still blurring words and resist the urge to knock myself into delicious unconsciousness in order to get out of here.

I wonder if Angel’s still looking, let’s have a teensy peek shall we?

Subtlety is the order of the day and so I raise my gaze under the impression of working out the kinks in my neck. Why, I oughta sue Giles for causing my trapezious muscle to cramp. While I’m at it, I may as well sue Xander for grievous harm to my eyes.

I scan the library, whoever said that Cordelia Chase can’t be subtle can eat their words.

Angel’s not looking now, he’s back to staring at the big book on his knees. He could so be a male model, he should look into having his own calendar…

Oh yeah, Angel in one of those really hot poses; maybe something involving water… Or body oil… Or, and be still my heart, Angel holding a cute little puppy while dressed as a fireman. Okay, so it’s the puppy that has my heart beating but I can’t be blamed for that.

I mean just think of those large, brown sad eyes and the little floppy ears and wagging tail… Awww! How can anyone hurt a teeny weeny puppy?

He’s looking again, time to go back too the book!

Damn, that was a close one! Almost got caught, you’re getting slow Chase.

It’s times like these I really hate my hair, the damn thing is blocking my view. Under the pretence of pushing it out of my watering eyes, thank you Xander, I slyly and subtly glance at Angel again. His fingers are tapping against what has to be a solid thigh muscle, who knew he had rhythm? Wonder what else he’s rhythmic at!

Not only does Cordelia Chase excel at looking perfect but little does anyone know that I have a very dirty mind when it comes to certain examples of the male vampire species. Where Angel is concerned, my mind can go places no mind should ever go!

And oh my look at that ring! It just has to be a real ruby, I’ll bet my new Valentino suit that’s a real ruby! I say it’s at least a carat, if I narrow my eyes and concentrate, I can see the Celtic design the stone is set in. Silver, just what a ruby should be set in, with an interwoven knot that means strong or something.

Uh-oh, I’ve been caught and Angel is looking at me like I’ve gone insane, which probably wouldn’t surprise me after being held captive in the library for hours on end. Wonder if Giles knows there’s a law on older men holding teenage girls against their will.

Is it me or are the vampire’s eyes getting darker? Why is my chest suddenly hurting?

Darn, breathing is an important part of survival.

That’s it Chase, inhale slowly hold it for five and…

His lips are parting, pink tongue making the pale contours glisten while his well-dressed figure moves a little to the left as he adjusts his sitting position on the stairs.

Exhale.

A thought flows through my head, why hasn’t Buffy gotten a spare chair from Giles office so Angel can sit at the table like the rest of us? Those stairs can’t be nice to sit on, right? Should I go get one?

I probably should but can’t move under his gaze, can hardly regulate my much needed breathing cycle.

Is it me or is it hot all of a sudden? I swear on Daddy’s platinum that Giles had better install some decent air conditioner in here some day soon. Excess heat does not go down well with hives, watering eyes and Willow’s hair by the looks of things. Does Giles keep any water in here? It’s a serious health hazard if he doesn’t.

Snapping my head back into the book, I force my silent yelp to stay silent while my teeth accidentally bite my tongue. Right on the tip of it, I’m way glad I’m not eating salted chips right now or drinking grapefruit juice. That would hurt more than Buffy popping that zip… Maybe not considering that thing could be twinned with Vesuvius.

I can breathe now that Angel isn’t looking at me anymore… Is he? I really should have a look see if he is.

Inhale slowly as I watch the vampire place a hand on the back of his neck, massaging those oh so tense muscles with deep movements that look heavenly. I could so use him after cheerleading… Angel, massaging, my wonderous body in his more than capable hands…

Oh my God! Please tell I did not just make that sound out loud? I steal suspicious looks around the others as I breathe a sigh full of relief, no-one is looking in my direction. Phew, next time keep your lips firmly and tightly shut, got it Chase?

Stay looking at the book girl, do not give into the urge to look. Yes demons, an Oxygen demon in particular needs to be researched and so I’m going to do just that.

Research.

See? I can research. I can research just how solid those thigh muscles would be touch, hmmm I wonder if there’s a subtle way to…

NO!

Oxygen demon remember? God Chase, you’d think you had a short attention span or something. Back to the book, the big and very boring book that makes no sense to me whatsoever. Okay, here I go, I’m making with the research on the demon. The big, evil demon I’m going to tempt into killing me by wearing something trashy.

Angel would have been a big, evil demon before he got a teensy little soul. I wonder if my trashy look would have been tempting to him. It can’t hurt to ask right? I mean it is all in the name of research. And who knows big, evil demons like Angel?

Words blur right before my still watering eyes and I’m forced to look away before this damn book scars me for life. I guess I’ll just have to look at the vampire for a little while. Just until my eyesight returns to it’s natural, pretty self.

When did he move? I would have noticed him moving, not that I’m watching every little thing he does of course, but I would’ve noticed he moved.

Angel is facing the table, one long and powerful leg is out in front of him and the other is bent at the knee. His strong hands are holding his book in a relaxed grip and he’s…

Oh mama mia!

He’s licking his lower lip with his tongue!

I feel a cold liquid wetting my own lower lip and realise much to my sheer amazement and disgust that I’m actually drooling. Before anyone notices, I swipe my fingers over my lip under the pretense of itching. Yes, Cordelia Chase does itch from time to time I mentally yell when that Harris moron looks at me weirdly.

I am human and humans itch now look away before you suffer death-by-glaring.

Ahhh, he’s taken that obnoxious face of his back to the pithy blonde whose leash he’s attached too. Where was I? Oh yeah, Angel’s lip-licking tongue…

Damn you Xander Harris! Angel’s not licking anymore and you made me miss it, your life is so not gonna be worth living boy.

I wonder what shade his eyes really are. Raising my own gaze from his most definitely pillow soft mouth to his eyes and see him staring directly at me. His eyes aren’t moving away this time and I open my mouth to speak to him when he speaks first.

“The book given to you is written in Latin” Angel’s voice cuts through the silence in the room, making everyone look at him in surprise. “If you’d like, I’d be happy to help”

“Lemme get you a chair from Giles’ office and you can come sit” I reply with probably my first genuine smile all day.